Boston Early Music Festival's magnificent Monteverdi - Boston Globe

'Ogni amante è guerrier' - 'Every lover is a warrior' - was the title of one of the selections the Boston Early Music Festival Vocal and Chamber Ensembles performed Saturday at Jordan Hall, and also the theme of the evening. 'Monteverdi Madrigals: Songs of Love and War' interspersed nine madrigals with sonatas by Dario Castello and Andrea Falconieri. It was a program of contrasts, in both music and words, and the performance was as delectable as the material.

The vocal pieces - five of them from the composer's final book of madrigals, 'Madrigali guerrieri, et amorosi' - ranged from solo to symphonic. The massive 'Hor che 'l ciel e la terra e 'l vento tace,' set to a Petrarch sonnet, posited the sextet of singers as pilgrims of love as they processed from chorale to lament to agonized yearning. Tenors Jason McStoots and Charles Blandy and bass-baritone Douglas Williams were outright funny as a trio desperately trying to defend themselves from Love's assault in 'Gira il nemico insidioso Amore'; later, in 'Lamento della Ninfa,' they became a back-up trio for mezzo-soprano Danielle Reutter-Harrah, singing 'Miserella' ('Poor girl') over and over as she poured out the sorrows of the betrayed maiden.

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Countertenor Reginald Mobley was mellifluous in 'Ego flos campi,' whose text is the 'I am the rose of Sharon' verses from the Song of Songs; soprano Teresa Wakim sent a chill down the spine singing of the 'icy thoughts' with which she attempted to arm herself in 'Ohimè ch'io cado.' Williams gave a deep majesty to the 'Io che nell'otio nacqui' section of 'Ogni amante è guerrier.' Performances of this music can be heavy and generic; these were quicksilver, pointed, and ardent.

That was true of the instrumental ensemble as well. Playing chitarrone in the continuo section, BEMF artistic co-directors Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs rapped out the 'sounds of battle' in 'Ogni amante è guerrier' and provided the walking bass of 'Augellin che la voce.' In Castello's 'Sonata undecima,' violinists Robert Mealy and Julie Andrijeski were like two sleek cats rubbing up against one another. In Falconieri's 'L'eroica à 3,' with gambist Laura Jeppesen, they tripped nimbly from light-footed reel to swaying triple-time ciaccona and back.

The program ended with another symphonic madrigal, 'Altri canti di Marte' ('Let others sing of Mars'), and then an encore reprise of part of 'Hor che 'l ciel e la terra e 'l vento tace.' TheBEMF performers were soldiers of love and, on this occasion,soldiers of eternal victory.

Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at jeffreymgantz@gmail.com.

Entities 0 Name: BEMF Count: 2 1 Name: Dario Castello Count: 1 2 Name: Falconieri Count: 1 3 Name: Charles Blandy Count: 1 4 Name: Williams Count: 1 5 Name: Julie Andrijeski Count: 1 6 Name: Jason McStoots Count: 1 7 Name: Teresa Wakim Count: 1 8 Name: Jordan Hall Count: 1 9 Name: Douglas Williams Count: 1 10 Name: Reginald Mobley Count: 1 11 Name: Petrarch Count: 1 12 Name: Robert Mealy Count: 1 13 Name: Boston Early Music Festival Vocal and Chamber Ensembles Count: 1 14 Name: Laura Jeppesen Count: 1 15 Name: Ninfa Count: 1 16 Name: Madrigali Count: 1 17 Name: Stephen Stubbs Count: 1 18 Name: Jeffrey Gantz Count: 1 19 Name: Danielle Reutter-Harrah Count: 1 20 Name: Andrea Falconieri Count: 1 21 Name: Paul O'Dette Count: 1 Related Keywords 0 Name: madrigal Score: 37 1 Name: ogni Score: 30 2 Name: amante Score: 28 3 Name: guerrier Score: 26 4 Name: vento Score: 20 5 Name: ciel Score: 20 6 Name: bemf Score: 20 7 Name: falconieri Score: 20 8 Name: castello Score: 20 9 Name: tace Score: 20 Authors Media Images 0